Out, Damek Petrov!
Upon the not-so-clean streets, and upon cold, yet smoking air, Miladena Popov opens the door of the cafeteria, exiting the building after a nice conversation and breakfast, she feels her stomach a bit full. Right now, as people march the streets, raising fists and signs, waving flags and even yelling 'Напоље, Дамек Петров!' which means 'Out, Damek Petrov!', Miladena now takes her camera she's been recording the interview with. She begins recording the protests, and even city police officers watching the demonstrations against the mayor and doing almost nothing about it. The police who do something against the protests are called back by his partners, they would have to let citizens protest since this country has a policy that allows rights to protest.
Jeez, the people are angry alright. Miladena, while recording, walks around the city of Kamenistrava. After a protester sees the Gradvest logo at Miladena's left shoulder, he reaches out to her, fast walking. - "Hej!" - He calls.
Miladena flinches, she sees a protester approaching her, so she inhales and exhales. - "Ummm..." -
Before Miladena Popov could say anything, the protester finally stood in front of her. - "I see that you are a journalist, right?" - He asked. - "If so, have you had an interview with a fellow comrade participating in a protest?" - The protester added a second question.
- "Uhhhh..." - Miladena couldn't answer yet, she was too busy quietly recording the protests, not that she was against it though, she's in support of it, she is just here to gather information and... uncover something. - "Yes, and yes. You wanted to talk with me about something?" -
- "Da. I did not want an interview with you, I just wanted to tell you something." - The protester looks at both sides, then back at Miladena. - "Last time there was a journalist here, she mysteriously disappeared. It might have to do something with the mayor and the corruption, if you wish to have an interview with any local politician of Kamenistrava, remember what I told you." -
- "Yeah, I heard. Hope she isn't dead or something." - Miladena Popov sure does hope that the missing journalist isn't killed.
- "Right, so if you want to interview mayor, just remember that I warned you. Don't end up like Barrueco." - He said, going back to protesting.
Less than half an hour later.
With protests still happening, mayor Damek Petrov finally agrees to have a conversation with the woman journalist Miladena Popov. This makes Miladena sweat REAL hard, two security guards escorting her to the mayor's palace of Kamenistrava doesn't help either, what if they make an ambush to arrest, or if worse, execute her? Even though her job is to uncover corruption, she panics inside while thinking too much of Albina Barrueco. While hoping not to "disappear", she finally makes it to the Mayor's office.
Despite Sminishia being a Socialist country, and the city looking like almost nothing has improved, the office looks surprisingly looks better than most mayor offices of any Sminishian city, Damek Petrov is seen sitting on the chair of his desk, awaiting for Miladena to sit down. After awkward seconds of Miladena standing there, Petrov says something. - "Why won't you take a seat, young woman?" -
The way he said 'woman' made the journalist uncomfortable. - "O-Of course, mayor." - She obliges, sitting down on the chair in front of the mayor's desk. She slowly clears her throat, didn't sound clear at all. - "... My name is Miladena Popov, journalist- " -
- "Of Gradvest, Sminishia's biggest independent news media? I watched your broadcasts." - Petrov interrupted Popov, finishing her sentence. - "I know what you came in for, interview, right?" -
- "Y-Yes, I came here to ask you questions. Mind if I ask one?" - Asks Miladena, already recording with her camera, but hiding the red lights and not telling the mayor.
- "Don't be nervous, madam, I'm definitely open to answers." - Petrov put a smug face. - "I don't mind at all." -
That 'definitely' did not sound definite, something is up, she swears inside her mind. Miladena finally starts to ask a question. - "First question... what do you thi-" -
- "Think of the protest? They are all ungrateful bastards who don't respect good mayors like me, who would want to force a man to resign from power whenever the people and even the poor feel like it? And who would want every people to be in power of something?" - Petrov interrupted Miladena once again, and even though he answered, it sounded like he was admitting that he likes being a dictator.
- "... I'm not religious, but for God's sake, please don't interrupt me again." - Says Miladena, annoyed. - "Glad I received your answer, but if you don't like majority of people deciding stuff, please remember you live in a Democracy, well, at least in a constitutional one." -
- "Alright, alright, I won't do it again, princess." - Petrov promised to not interrupt again, still sounding rude though.
Miladena almost groans, but because of the disappearance of a journalist, she keeps it quiet. - "N-Next question... are you thinking of resigning one day?" -
- "I'll resign when I die." - That means Petrov wants to rule for the rest of his life.
[ Damn, this guy really is the worst mayor in this country. ] Thought Miladena to herself, before asking the next journalistic question. - "Another question, what do you think happened to Albina Barrueco?" - She mentions the San Sierran journalist who reportedly disappeared in this municipality.
- ". . ." - Dot dot dot indeed, Petrov kept quiet.
- "Sorry if I'm making you think through sir, I'll give you time to -" - Miladena stops after Petrov hands him something.
What Petrov is handing is a wad worth of ten thousand Smils. - "You did not hear of that woman." - He said, attempting bribery to escape this question.
Miladena shrinks her pupils. - "... Are you..." - She shakes her head. - "Are you bribing me, sir?" -
- "Just take the money you fu-" - Immediately, he gets interrupted by a guard.
- "I can show you what happened to Albina, Miladena." - He said. - "I can even escort you." -
This raises suspicion, yet a lot of concern for the journalist, will the guard betray the mayor and show what really happened to the foreign journalist? Miladena thinks for a moment before standing up. Then, nods. - "Please do." -
- "Hey, no no no! There's nothing about her you idiot!" - Denied Petrov, only to be ignored by both people.
The second guard doesn't let Petrov stand up. - "Let them be." - Turns out he isn't really loyal to the mayor at all.
The first guard then opens up a hidden trapdoor, which it's space was usually empty. Unfortunately, this isn't the usual times, Petrov puts his right hand on his forehead, thinking he's doomed because of a man he thought was loyal is doing something. As the trapdoor is open, it reveals a terrifying discovery, it's Albina's corpse. Her skin is still "soft", but it's also whiter than before, her dead face looking disturbingly emotionless, her eyes dry and even having her bloody wound in her chest being exposed. This makes Miladena let out a huge horrified gasp, is this what happened to a woman from a fricking foreign country?! She has a will to scream.
- "This is the missing person you're looking for." - Said the guard, before looking at Petrov looking very guilty.
As the journalist shivered and looked at the body, she revealed her camera's red lights, it is still recording, she shows it to the guards and even Petrov. She was startled for seconds, then looked at the disgusting freak of a mayor. - "Did... did you kill her?!" -
- "So..." - Damek Petrov, the local tyrant of the city, sighed. - "You have seen it... to answer your question, yes, I have killed her." - He said with admission, as the second guard takes the handcuffs and puts it on Petrov's hands.
- "Unbelievable... murder by a government official..." - Miladena has never seen a lifeless corpse in her entire life other than entertainment sources.
- "Let's get out ma'am, I'll tell you more later." -
More minutes later.
As the interview went... unexpected, demonstrations against Petrov are still happening, especially in front of the mayor's palace. Finally, Petrov, the two guards and the journalistic woman Miladena Popov show up while exiting the building. Upon demonstrators seeing Petrov handcuffed, minor cheers are immediately made, but most are still angry, as they want to spit right at the mayor's face. The guards call for nearby officers of the city's police, at least the least corrupt ones, to enter the palace, while letting the Miladena go and forcing Petrov to make a speech before being fully arrested.
Soon, the mayor finally gives a speech. - "Citizens of Kamenistrava... as you may all know, I am the mayor of the city, and I was before this place has been transferred to being part of Sminishia." - As he says his first sentence, many boo's are heard from the crowd and demonstrators. - "Please, citizens, let me give a chance to talk. Since you have showed demonstrations against me, since you have called and wished for me to be taken out of office, I have an announcement to make." - He inhales and exhales. - "I, Damek Petrov, am hereby resigning as mayor from office, firstly known as Mayor Petrov... now as regular old citizen Petrov." -
With the announcement given, the crowd immediately cheers up, whistles and yelling of the words 'URA!' are heard, and then chanted, as they wave the Sminishian flags, which makes Petrov look down. - "Further announcements about me will be likely released tomorrow, but further news will likely be broadcasted by Gradvest as welll." - This doesn't stop the crowd from cheering.
Miladena Popov is still scarred from seeing a corpse, especially belonging to a fellow journalist. She returns to the cafeteria, taking her laptop, using the cafe's free WI-FI and uploading everything she recorded. She has uncovered government corruption, but she'll never forget what she saw.